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The Horns are here! Lots of 'em

Longhorn Nation has invaded Oxford and you couldn’t get a restaurant reservation on The Square with a fistful of $100 bills.

Just about every young Ole Miss grad that I know of — a couple who are blood kin — is heading up this afternoon to get a load of the burnt orange on sacred Rebel soil.

There are all kinds of Texas-Mississippi connections through the years, though most involve Mississippi State. Before he became a demigod at Texas, the great Darrell Royal put in a couple of years at State — 1953 and ’54. Royal’s top assistant, Mike Campbell, joined up from Carr Central High School in Vicksburg — I went to first grade at Bowmar Avenue Elementary with the Campbell twins, who became legendary players at Texas. Royal and Campbell won three national championships in Austin.

Later, of course, State hired Emory Bellard, godfather of the Wishbone offense at Texas, as its head coach.

Ole Miss has its own state of Texas connection, the legendary coach John Vaught, a TCU man.

RVs and buses from Texas began arriving on Wednesday and the lovely air around Oxfordtown already has been fouled by the odor of foreign substances — Texas style briskets and beef ribs.

One hopes that if the Rebels can’t prevail in Saturday night’s game, then at least baby back pork ribs and Boston butts will kick some, uh, butt in The Grove. And that Southern Magnolia and Abita Amber will hold their own against Shiner Bock.